The Witch and the Dragon Prince
by SiouxFan
Summary: Set in and shortly after Origami Fish's series 'A Destiny Altered'. Teneniel abdicates as Queen Mother shortly after Myrkr and returns to Dathomir, leaving Isolder to act as a counselor to Tenel Ka. Shortly before the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar, we see her and Isolder again. When did they meet up again? Are they still married? My version of what happened before we see them together.
1. Chapter 1

In orbit above the planet formerly known as Coruscant, Crown Prince Isolder stood with his arms clasped behind him and looked out the viewports of the Hapan _Nova-_class cruiser under his command, whistling appreciatively. Not at the vast armada hanging in orbit between the two planets in front of him, although that was impressive enough. No, it was the other planet at the center of this loose defensive formation that really impressed him: Zonoma Sekot. When he had heard that the Skywalkers were going on a search for a 'living planet', he scoffed at their flight of fancy. Planets do _not_ just 'go into hiding', as Luke had put it.

Now, looking at the proof before him, he was forced to admit that Skywalker was right: apparently planets CAN up and hide. Shaking his head, he made a mental note to pay Calrissian the one hundred credits they had bet. He should have known better than to bet against the Jedi.

The middle-aged blonde man turned his attention back to the assembled armada out his viewport, visually searching for _her_ ship. He knew it to be a futile gesture, of course, there were some three-hundred-odd ships out there and from this distance pretty much every ship looks the same: a grey blob against a black background. Still, it would be nice to know where she was.

From behind him came an embarrassed-sounding voice, the communications officer clearly reluctant to intrude on his thoughts. "Prince Isolder?" She waited for him to turn his head slightly in acknowledgement, "We have been hailed by the Dathomiri cruiser _Jeanne D'Arc_." The Ensign allowed a tone of confusion to enter her voice, "She is asking for you personally."

Isolder smiled as he turned to walk back to his command console, the communications officer keeping pace beside him. Even having not seen each other in years, his wife still could sense his mood. "I'll take it." He looked over at the young Ensign, "Forward it to my station, if you will."

"Certainly sir." With that, she hustled back to her console to make the necessary connection.

As Isolder settled into the command chair, a small holo flickered into view to the right of the console's main status screen. Even in holographic form, he had to admit that his wife still managed to make his heart skip a beat. "Hello, Teneniel. Are you ready for the party?" He asked nodding his head in the direction of the viewports to the armada assembled around them.

Her lovely chuckle brought a smile to his face, "I would _not _miss this. You know how us Dathomiri like to kick people in the shebs."

The Hapan prince could not stop a bark of laughter from erupting, earning him several odd looks from the surrounding officers on the bridge. Shaking his head as he composed himself, he supposed it was not every day that he got to hear a Dathomiri witch use Mandalorian slang. Looking back at the transmitter, "I do."

For a long moment, neither one said anything; it was if both of them were afraid of starting a conversation. Finally, before the silence became _too_ awkward, Teneniel asked quietly, "Do you have time to meet for lunch?" Even through a radio transmission, Isolder could hear the hopefulness in her voice.

Nodding, he smiled warmly, "Of course. My place or yours?"

Teneniel's look of relief at his answer confused him greatly. Did she really think that he would turn her down? As he pondered her reaction, he realized that he had missed part of her response. "...be best." His wife's image looked around, obviously checking her bridge to see if anyone was paying attention to her conversation. Leaning forward, she whispered, "You did _not_ get this from me, but Dathomiri cuisine leaves a _lot_ to be desired."

This time, the Crown Prince managed to choke back his laughter. As he mimed zipping his lips together, he shot her a wink, "Mum's the word." He looked over at the chrono and saw the ship's time was 11:30. As if on cue, his stomach began to rumble. Rolling his eyes, he turned his attention back to his wife, trying to remember if Dathomir was an hour ahead or an hour behind Hapes. In most navies, the tradition was to keep the ship's time was set to 'home' time until the fleet was established in one position. Since both the Hapan and Dathomiri fleets had only just arrived, both were operating according to their 'local' time. Isolder shook his head in annoyance; either way, Teneniel was probably as hungry as he was. "Is thirty minutes enough time?"

Her brown eyes sparkled with mirth, they both knew that she treated life as a 'come as you are' event. "That will be sufficient."

_(_)_

After signing off with his wife, Isolder leaned back in his chair, lost in his thoughts. It had been _far_ too long since he had seen his wife. Only after talking to her now did he fully understand just how lonely he had been for the last couple of years. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair as he decided that he would just have to make the most of the time they were allowed. _Dathomiri cuisine leaves a lot to be desired._ He allowed a small smile as Teneniel's comment sounded in his mind; he might not be able to change much, but he _could_ make sure that they ate well.

Leaning forward in his chair, he made a call to the galley. After the man at the other end answered, "Hi Chief. What are the odds you could make some jambalaya in thirty minutes? Enough for two?"

Down in the ship's galley, Chief Petty Officer Skarsgård frowned slightly at the request. He had served on the _Drogon_ since its commissioning, and could not actually remember Prince Isolder making a different request for lunch, so there must be something special going on for him to ask for a different meal. If it was important enough for his boss to ask, it was important enough to do well, hence the small frown. "I _can_, but forty-five minutes would really make it taste better."

Isolder considered this for a second before nodding in agreement, "Fair enough. Are there any profiteroles left over from last night?"

This garnered a chuckle from the twenty-two-year Navy man, as he said wryly, "For you, I think we can scrounge some up." He paused for a second, thinking that if his boss was asking for a meal for two, he probably wanted to eat alone. "Do you want me to bring it to your cabin?"

The older man smiled at the other's perceptiveness, "Nah, the Officer's mess will be fine."

Chief Skarsgård nodded, "Very good, sir."

_(_)_

As he stood watching Teneniel's small shuttle land gracefully in the cavernous hangar bay, he allowed a smile as the butterflies in his stomach intensified. Unconsciously wiping his hands on his regulation dark blue Navy trousers, it occurred to him that he should not be acting like a nervous teenager before his first date. He and Teneniel were _married_ for crying out loud; their daughter was _twenty_.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath, the Crown Prince of Hapes took a few steps forward as the shuttle's access ramp started to lower. After a painful couple of moments where it seemed that nothing was happening, Isolder finally heard footsteps coming from the shuttle's passenger compartment and tried to affect a casual 'parade rest' stance despite the fact that he could practically feel his heart hammer away in his chest. The footsteps emanating from the shuttle changed tone and he watched as a pair of black lizard-hide calf boots became a knee-length maroon skirt became a shapely ecru sleeveless blouse became the still lovely face of his wife of twenty-two years.

As he stepped forward to give her the customary Hapan greeting of kissing both cheeks, it occurred to him that she still managed to give him goose bumps. "Welcome aboard the _Drogon_, Teneniel."

The auburn-haired Dathormiri smiled warmly as she returned the Hapan greeting, a glint of mischief in her brown eyes, "Thank you for having me. How is our ship holding up?"

Shortly before the Vong invaded Hapes one of Teneniel's last Royal acts was to christen the HMS _Drogon_, one of the four newest _Nova_-class cruisers. Her and Isolder had intended it to be their flagship, and had named the new cruiser after the pet dragon belonging to a mythical clan-leader of the Singing Mountain Clan.

Isolder gave her a knowing look and grimaced slightly as he offered his arm in a show of gallantry, leading their way out of the hangar. "I must confess that I have been loathe to risk our ship, so she has been limited to routine patrol duty." Seeing Teneniel's admonishing look, he held up his hands in surrender, "I know, I know, I shouldn't be _attached_ to a ship." Looking at his wife out of the corner of his eye, he added drily, "Apparently, I've spent too much time around the Solos."

Teneniel said nothing as she looped her arm through his again, shooting him a look that seemed to say, _You think?_ As the pair made their way to the galley, neither of the pair said anything for a time, content to be just close to each other again.

Making a left-turn onto another corridor, Isolder risked a glance over at his favorite witch; "You look good, by the way," meaning it. Until now, he never realized just how badly Palace life had worn on his wife. When she had abdicated, she looked tired, beat down. The last two years back on Dathomir had revived her; she had regained her inner strength and the sparkle was back in her lovely brown eyes.

Teneniel smiled at the compliment. Perhaps it was simply a reaction to his mother, or just a product of being in Court his whole life, but Isolder had long ago mastered the art of being able to compliment people without sounding smarmy. In a system full of flattery, he had always been _sincere._ It was one of the things she loved most about him. Her eyes ran over his form as she opened her mouth to return the compliment. "Thank you. You look..." she paused, as a small frown formed and her voice became concerned, "...a little tired."

Isolder snorted a mirthless laugh as he stopped in the middle of the corridor. "I _am _tired." He paused and leaned against the far wall, letting out a deep breath. "Our daughter is _not _doing my nerves any favors." Teneniel's look grew alarmed and he continued before she could interrupt, "Unfortunately, she takes after you and feels the need to be in the thick of things."

Once again, the former Queen smiled, both at the way Tenel Ka refused to be tied to the Palace, and the way Isolder was clearly worried about her safety. "That's my girl."

The blond man rolled his eyes sadly at the pride evident in his wife's voice, "Yeah." His voice turned thoughtful, "The troops _love_ her and I've received numerous letters from families who have lost daughters and sons." He paused for a second and Isolder's stoic façade cracked, allowing Teneniel to see the pain that was tearing apart his soul. His voice cracking slightly, Isolder continued, "They all appreciate that their Queen is out there risking her life, just like their kids were; that their loss meant_ something_." The Crown Prince of Hapes took a deep breath to regain his emotions, nervously running a hand through his hair, "Still...if something were to happen to her..." He trailed off, thinking back to the preliminary after-action report he had received earlier from the massive fleet engagement over Mon Calamari. Even though admirals have a tendency to understate the actual danger, it was pretty clear from the report that Tenel Ka's ship, the _Flames of Dathomir II_, had taken a lot of damage and was lucky to survive the battle.

Suddenly, Teneniel realized what he was trying to get at; even though he was extremely proud what Tenel Ka was doing, he also worried about the future of Hapes. Worry evident in her brown eyes, she took a step across the corridor and grasped her husband's hands. If something were to happen to their daughter, Hapes would be thrown into turmoil, as all of the Noble Houses would be certain to fight amongst one another for control of the Crown. Closing her eyes, she could see the chaos that would likely ensue: years of another civil war, followed by a return of the barbaric ways of Ta'a Chume. All of the reforms they had managed to get passed over the last twenty years would be for naught. Opening her eyes, she gave her husband's hands a sympathetic squeeze; he was right to be worried. "I'll talk to her before she can..."

Shaking his head, Isolder interrupted, "Don't. Her friends need her." He smiled slightly, "Even being slightly out of practice, our daughter is still one of the best in hand-to-hand combat, and they are going to need all of the help they can get." His smile became a little more predatory, "Besides, if we win here, the Ruling Council will not _dare_ oppose a war hero." The smile faded and his voice dropped to a whisper, "and if we lose..." Isolder shook his head sadly, "...it won't matter anyway."

Teneniel opened her mouth to object to his use of this battle as a political tool, dropping her hands to her side as she did, but her objection died in her throat. Tenel Ka was not doing this for political gain, Isolder was just pointing out a favorable benefit: Tenel Ka's role in a victory here at Coruscant would buy months of silence from the opposition in the Ruling Council, months which Tenel Ka could use to solidify her political base. She exhaled a long breath as she dropped her eyes to the floor, "I _hate_ politics."

Isolder chuckled and retook her left hand, "I know." He waited for his wife to raise her head to look at him again, "That is what made you a good Queen." Teneniel smiled sadly at the compliment but said nothing; if she were such a good queen, she would not have abdicated and forced her husband and daughter to shoulder the burden of trying to keep Hapes from exploding.

As if sensing her thoughts, Isolder smiled warmly, and gave her hand a squeeze, "Don't worry, we'll manage." Nodding at the doorway behind her, "Lunch?"

The Dathomiri woman glanced to where he gestured, and saw the 'Officer's Mess' sign stenciled above the door. Turning back, confusion clearly evident on her face, "We are not eating in you quarters?"

Her husband shook his head, giving her a wry look, "Nope. A wise woman once told me that just because I was royalty, it did not mean that I was _special_."

Teneniel looked at him affectionately, and gave him a small smile, "Sounds like good advice."

Isolder nodded in agreement as he crossed the hall and opened the door, motioning for her to enter first, "It was." As she passed by him and into the Officer's Mess, he whispered, "She said a lot of smart things."

Before she could react to his comment, the personnel in the room immediately snapped up to a position of 'attention'. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Isolder gestured for them to sit, "Please, don't mind us. Be seated." As the twenty or so officers in the Mess retook their seats, Isolder made the rounds around the modestly decorated room, making sure to introduce Teneniel to each of them, calling each person by name. Shaking the offered hands of the young women and men (and they were all _so_ young) of the Mess, Teneniel could not help but notice the respect and affection that her husband showed for each one of them.

After making sure to talk to everyone for a few moments, Isolder finally led her over to a small table in the far corner of the Mess, wishing to be as unobtrusive as possible. As he pulled out her chair, Teneniel commented quietly, "They seem to like you."

Isolder smirked as he sat opposite his wife, his slate eyes sparkling with obvious pride, "Nah, they tolerate me. You should see them around our daughter."

Before she could reply, CPO Skarsgård appeared at their table and started pouring a sweet-smelling white wine into the two crystal goblets on the table. "Your Majesties." He said quietly, nodding at each of them, "Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."

Teneniel smiled warmly at the man who had been who had been serving aboard their previous flagship ever since she had assumed the throne, "Thanks Chief." She reached for his hand, giving it a warm squeeze, "It is good to see you again, Rogimai."

Rogimai Skarsgård allowed a hint of a smile to be seen through his well-trimmed but graying beard, "You too, Teneniel." Shooting her a wink, he went back to the galley to make the final check on their lunch.

Teneniel smirked and looked over at her husband and the two of them started chatting about the progress of the war to this point; Isolder explaining with obvious pride the way their daughter had only committed Hapan troops to a battle when she felt that the objective was worth the risk. More than once, he told her, Tenel Ka overrode the wishes of her High Command (including the wishes of her father) declining to take part in a few of the campaigns because she viewed the odds of success were not favorable enough to risk her troops. "I admire Anakin Solo greatly," she had told her Defence Chiefs at one particularly heated meeting, "but his plans rely on huge amounts of pure luck. I was _at_ Myrkr; I know better than most how reckless his plans are. I will _not_ face Hapan parents and tell them that their daughters and sons are dead because we were not _lucky_ enough! Devise a better plan." Thus admonished, the High Command never again tried to sell a plan that was designed to bring 'Glory to Hapan Forces' as one Admiral had said of the plan in question; throughout the remainder of the war, they focused on campaigns that fit into the overarching goal of bringing the war to an end.

The Defence Chiefs would never admit it to him, of course, but Isolder knew that all of them respected the young Queen Mother greatly; she put the lives of her troops first and foremost when deciding on action. Furthermore, the troops all knew it; they knew that if they were sent somewhere, it _mattered_. It mattered to the galaxy and it mattered to Hapes.

As he talked, Teneniel supposed that she should be impressed at the way her daughter was acting as Commander-in-Chief; Tenel Ka was proving herself to be very astute. Instead, all Teneniel felt was immense guilt. Because she was a coward, Tenel Ka had to assume responsibility for the _millions_ of people in the Hapan armed forces; because she was _tired_ of being Queen Mother, Tenel Ka was thrown into the lion's den and forced to make decisions that no twenty-year-old woman should have to make. Teneniel failed in her duty as a mother to protect her daughter because she was_ tired_. A deep feeling of guilt enveloped her soul and she only hoped that her daughter could find a way to forgive her.

Suddenly, the Dathomiri woman realized that her husband had stopped talking. Seeing his concerned look, he had probably stopped some time ago and she was only now catching on. Gently, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Picking up her wine glass, she swirled the pale yellow contents as she shook her head slightly. "No." Taking a sip, she looked into Isolder's slate eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, my retelling of the Battle of..."

"No!" She interrupted quietly but firmly. "No." The former Queen Mother took a deep breath and tried again, her lip quivering as she put as much meaning into three words that she could, "I. Am. Sorry." _I'm sorry for leaving; I'm sorry for sticking you with this mess; I'm sorry for making our daughter grow up much faster than she should've been forced to; I'm sorry I've been a horrible excuse for a wife._

Teneniel left all of this unsaid, but somehow her husband seemed to understand what she meant. Reaching across the table, he gave her left hand an affectionate squeeze. As he did, she wiped her eye with her other hand and realized that her husband was a much better person than she. If it had been the other way around, if he had left because he was tired of it all, she did not think she would have been nearly as understanding as he. "How...?" pausing, she angrily wiped her eyes again, "How can I ever make this up to her? To you?"

Squeezing her hand again, Isolder smiled the little half-smile that he only let her see, "Maybe a vacation? Just the four of us?"

She nodded once before really comprehending what he had said. _Four?_ Narrowing her brown eyes, she was about to ask whom he meant when Chief Skarsgård arrived back at their table, placing two steaming plates of shrimp and sausage jambalaya in front of them. Looking down at her lunch, her eyes widened in surprise; she had not eaten jambalaya in _ages_. Raising her head, she looked once again at her husband, "You remember?"

Isolder looked affronted, "Of course."

_(_)_

They had not been married very long, a couple of months perhaps, when Isolder noticed that he had not seen his wife yet that day, and it was almost noon. After making a couple of inquiries, he learned that _nobody_ had seen her yet that day. Concerned, he made his way back to their suite. Upon opening the door to the front room, he could hear her quietly crying, the sound coming from their bedroom. Quietly, he opened the door and was frightened by what he saw: the drapes were drawn shut, but even in the darkness he could see that every piece of clothing she owned had been thrown around the room, most of them in a large pile at the foot of the bed. Leaning up against the headboard, her knees pulled to her chest and wearing nothing but her underwear, sat his wife, her eyes wet with tears.

"Teneniel?" Not wanting to make her feel threatened, Isolder slowly made his way to the edge of the bed and took her hand. "Teneniel? What happened?"

She barked a humorless laugh, "I _can't_ stand it." Looking over at her husband, her voice became pained, "This is _not_ me." Gesturing to the pile at the end of the bed, "Some of these dresses cost more than an average Dathomiri makes in six months. We _waste _more food than I ate as a kid." Slumping against his side, she continued, "As a kid, everyone ate stew or porridge out of one big pot. Now, we have _courses_." Teneniel looked again at Isolder imploringly and whispered, "This is _not _me."

Isolder shifted slightly and put his arm around his wife. "We can change." Squeezing her shoulder, "This is _your_ house now, you can change the rules." Smiling, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer, giving him a kiss. No one saw either one of them that afternoon.

The next day, Isolder gave the entire Royal staff the day off, declaring it a 'Dathomir Culture Day', the two of them treating the day as a 'staycation'. Teneniel wore her traditional Dathormiri lizard garb as she sat in her office reviewing briefing notes for an upcoming meeting with the Kuati Ambassador and went over the minutes of the last session of the Republic's Foreign Relations Committee. As Queen, it behooved her to know what Leia's government was up to, after all.

While his wife went about the business of State, Isolder busied himself with making lunch. Remembering Teneniel's comment about 'eating from a big pot', he smiled as he recalled his grandfather making a dish called 'jambalaya' on days when Ta'a Chume was out of the Palace on 'business'. The four of them, his grandfather, father, brother, and him would stuff themselves silly on the spicy rice dish while watching obscene amounts of smashball.

Shaking his head at the memory, the young Prince searched the kitchen's database for the recipe. He frowned to himself when the computer answered his request with: _no entry found_. Thinking that he had spelled it incorrectly, he tried a couple more times, getting the same answer each time. Either his mother had deleted the entry or...a smile crossed his lips...his grandfather simply made up the recipe as he went along; what Ta'a Chume could not find, she could not accuse them of eating.

It took longer to make lunch then he expected. Improvisation was never Isolder's strong suit, and he had to get help from the kitchen droid a time or two so as to not make something inedible, but in the end, he was rather pleased with his concoction. His grandfather would be proud.

After setting the table out on the patio, he went to gather Teneniel from her office. Seeing his impish grin, she regarded him warily. "What's going on, Husband Isolder?"

Isolder said nothing as he walked over and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. "This way, if you please."

Confused, the auburn-haired Queen allowed herself to be led out of the apartment onto the patio where she stopped dead upon seeing the table. Sitting on the wrought-iron table was a large pot of a yummy-smelling concoction, two wooden bowls, and two spoons. As she stood wide-eyed at what her husband had made, she noticed that the only concession to Hapes was the bottle of wine sitting in its cooler.

Noticing his wife's obvious surprise, and pleased with himself for being able to pull it off, Isolder said quietly, "It's not stew, but I figured it fit the spirit of..."

He was unable to finish his thought as Teneniel launched herself at him, the two of them slamming into the brick wall behind him. As his wife ripped his shirt off, Isolder was glad that he remembered to put a warming plate under the jambalaya.

_(_)_

"That was the day we became...us." Isolder explained, breaking her out of her memories. After that day, Teneniel became more comfortable in the Palace; she gave most of her expensive gowns to charity and purchased more sensible clothes, she made sure that all of the extra food be given to local soup kitchens, and they made sure to have a 'Dathomir Culture Day' every few weeks where it would just be the two of them. Perhaps more importantly, it became the _three _of them some nine-ish months after that day.

Teneniel knew that most people thought Isolder to be stiff and superficial, but underneath his distant façade, her husband was one of the most caring, loving individuals she had ever met. Not for the first time, she was glad he had come to Dathomir with Skywalker that day so long ago. Giving his hand that was still holding hers an affectionate squeeze, she said quietly, "I love you." The Crown Prince of Hapes said nothing as he smiled and squeezed her hand in return; content to let her have the last word.

As they ate, Teneniel told him of her plans to set up a Dathomori Jedi Academy. It was her belief that the current Praxeum defined the Force in terms that were too narrow, perhaps the Dathomiri way could add richness to the overall texture of what it meant to be a Jedi; the Nightsisters _were_ a powerful clan, perhaps it would be better to incorporate their teachings into the Jedi syllabus rather than simply exclude them because they were 'different'.

After telling him her plans, the two of them ate in relative silence for a time, surreptitiously glancing at each other as if they were on a first date. Finally, unable to bear the silence, Teneniel took a quick look around the room, clearly making sure that no one was within earshot. Quietly, her face full of concern, she inquired, "How _is _she doing?" _As Queen?_

Once again, the Crown Prince's slate eyes beamed in obvious pride, "Despite her steep learning curve..." he deadpanned, smiling good-naturedly at Teneniel's guilty grimace, "...Tenna is doing pretty well." His wife snorted once at his use of their daughter's nickname. The eight-year-old son of one of Teneniel's Naval Liaison had given Tenel Ka the nickname when he was unable to pronounce his six-year-old friend's name properly. If the Dathomiri witch were a betting person, she would place a large amount of credits on the bet that NONE of Tenel Ka's Jedi friends knew of this nickname; a deficiency that Teneniel needed to correct. Smirking the evil smirk of a meddling mother, she returned her attention to her husband, "...has the rare ability of knowing when to interject in Cabinet meetings. Sometimes, she lets us Ministers squabble amongst ourselves to come up with the solution, other times she steps in to mediate."

Casting a furtive glance around the Mess, Isolder continued in a lower tone, "Tenna's been _masterful_ at using the War Powers Act." Seeing his wife's confused look, he explained further, "She's used the skilled labor shortage as leverage to get more men into technical training; she eliminated statute that ensured men could only make up 15% of a factory floor." Across the table, Teneniel slumped back in her chair, amazed at what she was being told. Reforms that her and Isolder had championed for almost twenty years, her daughter had managed to get passed in less than two.

Isolder leaned forward, clearly excited, "That's not the best part. Using the Act, she has been quietly hiring chemists, mathematicians, physicists, pretty much any out-of-work professor from systems that have been overrun, setting them up in universities throughout the system." He shot his wife a wry grin, "Tenna's been telling the Ruling Council that these people are needed to ensure that Hapes has the best minds to design new weaponry for the military." Shaking his head in disbelief, "After this war is over, we will have five or six of the finest Universities in the galaxy. We stand to become what Alderaan was: _the_ beacon of higher learning."

Sometime during their honeymoon, Isolder confessed to her that his goal for Hapes was to make it _matter_ to the galaxy. To prove to everyone that being Hapan meant more than just having money and being pretty. Maybe, just maybe, he would see that goal achieved.

Looking at her wrist chrono, Teneniel grimaced. "Luke's meeting is in forty-five minutes, we should start heading down." Smiling coyly at her husband, "Would you care to join me on my shuttle for the ride down?"

He winked, "Of course." He glanced over his shoulder, "Chief?"

CPO Skarsgård again materialized seemingly out of nowhere and handed the Crown Prince of Hapes a small brown paper bag. "Right here sir."

Isolder nodded at the slightly younger man, "Thanks Chief."

The Navy man merely nodded as he watched the Royal Couple get up and make their way out of the Mess, smiling as he heard the former Queen Mother ask, "What's in the bag?"

* * *

A/N: In the interest of storytelling, I changed the time interval between Teneniel's/Isolder's wedding and when Tenel Ka was born. According to Wookiepedia, the time interval was about 2 years, I changed it to about a year.

I got Tenel Ka's nickname (and it's background story) from Hexterah's wonderful series 'The Feigned'. If you are a Jacen/Tenel Ka fan, than this series is a 'must read'; it's got it's own website, so just do a search.

I couldn't find any naming protocol for the Dathomiri Navy, so I made up my own. Dathomir being Dathormir, it made sense to me that they would name their ships after famous witches.

A special thanks to Origami Fish for dumping this plot bunny on me and for letting me play in the sandbox that is 'A Destiny Altered'.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This story was originally planned as a one-off, but the 'vacation' plotline from Chapter 1 kept lingering in my head, so...here we are. Set a few days after the final battle of Origami Fish's _A Destiny Altered_...

**Chapter 2**

As Tenel Ka made her rounds at the ever-increasingly raucous party Lando and Talon were hosting on Zonoma to celebrate the end of the war, it became clear that remaining sober was _not_ on anyone's list of things to do. Graciously disentangling herself from a clearly inebriated Cal Omas who was trying to give sincere thanks for Hapes' contribution to the war for the _third_ time, Tenel Ka searched around for her best friend, hoping to find a respite from all of the glad-handling and hand-shaking. It was not that she did not appreciate the sentiments coming her way on behalf of the Hapan Armed Forces, she did. Even from her biased point-of-view, the Hapans had accounted themselves quite well on the field of battle; they had helped turn the tide of the war, after all. No, the problem was that many of the revelers at this party had starting calling her the 'Warrior Queen' for her actions in the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar; a nickname that she _knew_ that the press was going to have a field-day in using.

Shaking her head, the Queen Mother continued to wander aimlessly around the large clearing, soaking up the ambiance as she tried to distance herself from the large speakers at one end of the clearing, speakers that seemed to get louder as the party went on. _If it's too loud, you're too old_. Tenel Ka allowed a small smirk as she remembered what Han had told Leia once when the Chief-of-State had complained about the volume at a music-themed restaurant Han had taken them all to one evening long ago. _I am barely twenty, I wonder what that implies?_ Allowing a small snort of laughter, the young Queen realized that she probably did not want the answer to that question. As she politely mingled amongst the crowd, she took a long, objective look at the setting and realized that for all of their faults, Calrissian and Karde _really_ know how to throw a party. Overhead was strung a myriad of pleasantly gaudy colored lights that were just dim enough to allow the spectacular glow of Yuuzhan'tar's 'Rainbow Bridge' to shine through. Additionally, the two of them had recruited some of the local Ferroans to act as wait staff, and the food smelled fantastic. Besides the speaker at one end of the floor was a video-music machine that allowed a singer to see the words of a song as they attempted to sing along. Tenel Ka shook her head at the thought; it was only a matter of time before one of the inebriated guests got enough courage to serenade the crowd.

Having long ago mastered the art of being able to mingle while casting the impression that she wished to be left alone, Tenel Ka took a sip of her bubbly wine and continued her search the assembled throng for Jacen. As she searched, she caught sight of her parents; the two of them standing back-to-back, as if they were unwilling to let the other out of physical range, each engaged in lively discussions with some of the other party-goers. As she stood and watched the two of them, her mind wandered back to the time when she was a kid, roaming around the Palace's ballroom at one of the numerous 'official' functions, trying to stay out of the way. And, just like in those earlier days, her father seemed to know that she was looking at him; casting her a quick look, he smirked his 'Dad' smirk and shot her a wink. It was their special signal; his way of saying: _I know kiddo, I'm bored stiff, too. Just another twenty minutes, okay?_ Taking another sip of her wine to keep from breaking out in a grin, she winked back, just like she used to. Before she broke eye contact, her father's eyes narrowed mischievously and he nodded his head fractionally in the direction of a grove of trees silhouetted at the top of a small hill not too far away. This time, Tenel Ka did not try to hide her smile, warmed by the thought that her Father knew who she was looking for. Nodding once in thanks, she started in the direction of the grove he indicated.

Passing a waiter carrying a tray of drinks, she place her now-empty flute on the tray and deftly grabbed two more, impressing the young Ferroan with her ability to do so with one hand. Giving the waiter a wry smile, she continued to pick her way to the edge of the crowd. Once the auburn-haired Queen finally managed to achieve escape velocity from the gravity of the crowd, she quickly walked to the base of the hill, her heels clicking on the parquet floor as she did. After the fourth 'click', two things occurred to her: First, where did Lando get a parquet floor on Zonoma? Second, climbing even a small hill such as the one in front of her in four-centimeter heels was only asking for a twisted ankle. Shaking her head, Tenel Ka put down her two flutes of wine, kicked off her shoes, and picked up the entire ensemble; two flutes and a pair of elegant heels, with one hand. _If only the waiter could see me now._

Not until she reached the summit of this hill could she make out the shadow of her best friend sitting on the ground and leaning comfortably against one of the trees, watching as Yuuzhan'tar's sole remaining moon was just starting to rise over Zonoma's eastern horizon. As she rounded the small copse of trees to approach him, the shadow that was Jacen wordlessly rose to his feet, met her as she walked towards him, took her shoes and one of the flutes, and led her back to his 'nest'. Tenel Ka said nothing but shot him an amused look as she sat next to him on the large blanket he had procured from somewhere. The blanket, and the small warmer of finger foods that were sitting on his right were clear indicators that he expected her to come find him at some point tonight. Finally, after several moments of the two of them just being together, he looked over at her, "I was afraid I was going to have to go rescue you."

The Queen Mother rolled her grey eyes, "You probably should have; I had to sneak away from Omas _three_ times, and my face hurts from all of my 'amused, yet polite' smiles."

Somehow, Jacen heard the quotes around the adjectives and snickered quietly as he shook his head, "'Amused, yet polite...' is that a Ta'a Chume description?"

Tenel Ka narrowed her eyes, "You know that it is not; Ta'a Chume _never_ smiled." Her lips rose in small smile at Jacen's bark of laughter; the sound of his laugh had long been her favorite sound, "No. My mother coined the phrase."

"Ah. Aha." Jacen deadpanned. Seeing his Queen's menacing look, he tried, and failed badly, to keep from laughing; his Queen tried, and failed badly, to maintain the look before she, too, started to laugh.

The two of them once again fell into a comfortable silence as they simply watched the sky, content to be serenaded by the sound of still-pretty-loud music and raucous laughter coming from the party two hundred meters behind them. Only when the music paused between songs did Jacen realize that the almost imperceptible rumble he had heard a couple of times was not part of the bass-beat. Shaking his head, he leaned to his right and pulled the small food warmer closer, lifted it and placed it between the two of them. "You _could_ have just said you were hungry." He deadpanned, taking her flute away and placing on the tree stump she was leaning against.

Looking slightly embarrassed, she answered with a half-shrug, grabbing a yummy-looking deep-fried ham and cheese quarter-sandwich as she did, "I was unaware that I was; until now I have been too busy 'mingling'." After taking a bite of her sandwich, her lovely grey eyes widened in surprise, "These are really good."

Jacen chuckled playfully as he wiped a bit of melted cheese from her chin and winked, "I can tell." Ignoring her mock-scowl, he leaned forward and selected a small meat-and-potato pasty from warmer and closed the lid. "How's your chest, by the way?" He asked, belatedly grimacing at his phraseology.

Glancing down to take a quick peak at her rather low-cut bright blue blouse, "Still a 36C." Tenel Ka replied wryly, her eyes sparkling with delight as Jacen ashamedly hung his head, murmuring something about being 'my fault for asking'.

"I meant..."

His Queen interrupted, "I know. My ribs are fine, just a tad sore." She could see the concern on his face as Jacen gave her a quick once-over. Satisfied that she was telling the truth, he again leaned forward toward the food warmer to grab another sandwich, seeing as she had finished the first one in about three bites. Nodding her thanks, she playfully bonked him with her shoulder. This one took her _four_ bites to finish, and she went to get another as Jacen only shook his head in disbelief; he _still _had not eaten half of his pasty. Shrugging in reply, she cast him a serious look, "When do you plan on..." Tenel Ka trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. Truth be told, she did not really want Jacen to leave on his 'voyage of self-discovery'. She knew that it would be selfish to ask him to stay, but she found herself relying on his advice more and more; Jacen was the only one, besides her father, that never had ulterior motives when offering an opinion, only wanting her to make the best decision possible. Furthermore, in the darkest part of her mind that she tried her best to ignore, was the thought that Jacen would never return; of if he did, it would not be back to her. It was this thought, more than any other, that almost had her pleading for him to stay. Almost.

If Jacen had picked up on her thoughts, he was not letting it show. Smiling her favorite 'Jacen smile', he replied warmly, "Not for a while. I've got to get a hold of a ship before I can go anywhere." Sensing her relief, he allowed a small chuckle; "I will be fully at your beck-and-call for the near future, your Majesty."

"Good." Came the reply, a small smirk on her face. As the auburn-haired young woman finished her third sandwich she scooted closer to Jacen, reaching for his hand. "If you were Queen Mother and wanted to take a vacation, where would you go?"

Jacen narrowed his eyes; if he knew anything about Tenel Ka, it was that she _never_ asked questions hypothetically. Shaking her head at his look, she grimaced and explained further, "Mother thinks that it would be good for us to take a small vacation, spend some time as a family again."

"Makes sense." Jacen agreed, trying to remember the last family vacation he had been on; it had been _ages_. He remembered Dad taking himself, Jaina, Anakin and Kyp rocket skiing, but Mom was unable to go because of her Chief-of-State duties. Shaking his head to refocus on the question at hand, he started thinking aloud. "It does create a problem, doesn't it?" He looked over at her and Tenel Ka could almost _see_ the gears spinning in his head, "It's not like the three of you can just go hang out on the beach somewhere." Jacen waved his hand in front of them, miming the marquee above some theatre somewhere, "Imagine the headlines, 'Queen Mother sunning it up while galaxy rebuilds'. Yeah, that'll go over well." Tenel Ka gave him a warm smile; this was why she _really_ did not want Jacen to leave: he understood the political realities better than almost anyone else, he understood that sometimes image _was _everything. If she could get him to come up with a workable plan, she could probably entice him into coming along, thus guaranteeing another week or so together.

Pulling his knees to his chest, Jacen stated to slowly rocked back and forth, "The three of you need to go on a vacation without _looking_ like your going on a..." Suddenly his head jerked up as it hit him and grabbed his Queen's hand excitedly, "That's it. Steal Anakin's idea!"

Tenel Ka gave him a quizzical look, "Tattoine?"

Her friend frowned and shook his head, "No, not the location; I meant the idea of a 'working vacation'." Catching her not-quite-convinced look, he elaborated further, "There are hundreds of worlds..." Jacen started gesturing wildly overhead as he talked, "...millions of municipalities, _trillions_ of beings out there that are now trying to rebuild. We could go somewhere and aid in the rebuilding effort." The Hapan monarch smiled at his use of 'we' and squeezed his hand affectionately, knowing that she had got him on a roll. "What better way to prove to the rest of the galaxy that _your_ Hapes is not what Ta'a Chume's was? That you are more than just a 'Warrior Queen'?"

Tenel Ka was too stunned by his insight to be offended by his use of her new moniker; she had thought him to not be paying attention when she had confessed her father's desire to make being Hapan _mean_ something. Jacen was right, this would be a great place to start. "Where do you think _we_ should start?"

Casting her a wry look, he had caught her use of 'we', Jacen let out a deep breath, "Take your pick, really. I only have first-hand knowledge of Coruscant, but I've heard stories about how bad a shape Commenor is in."

The Queen Mother's eyes narrowed. Wasn't Danni Quee from Commenor? Letting her voice frost over a touch, "Commenor? Do tell."

Jacen fought the urge to laugh as he retook his best friend's hand. Even royalty can get jealous, apparently. "_You_ have nothing to worry about." He smiled as her face softened, "Although, you should get to know her; Danni is the smartest, most caring person I've ever met."

Her eyes searched Jacen's face as his words sunk in. Tenel Ka knew, of course, that Danni was very intelligent-_everyone_ knew that—but for Jacen to say, 'she's the most caring person...'? Grimacing slightly, she realized that she could not think of anyone else that Jacen would say that about. Offering Jacen an apologetic smile, it dawned on her that she should have known that there was more to Danni Quee than just a pretty face; if half of the stories she had heard were true, Danni _would_ be an interesting person to get to know. "I shall inform my parents, then. _We_ will leave late tomorrow morning."

Jacen leaned closer and whispered, "Yes, your Majesty." Tenel Ka closed the gap and the two of them forgot all about returning back to the party, content to lie under the stars.

_(_)_

Not bothering to change out of his sleep pants and an old t-shirt, Jacen padded into the kitchen of the small abode that the Solos had been loaned and saw his mother reading from her computer tablet as she sat on the sofa of the living room. "...'Morning, Mom." he chirped as he started to heat some water in the kettle, adding two tea bags to the water.

Leia looked up at her son, giving him a warm smile. "Good morning." Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she continued, "You weren't out very late."

One of the disadvantages of dating the Hapan Queen Mother, he was starting to realize, was that _everyone_ tended to know where you were and what you were doing. A fact that tended to put the brakes on any 'extra-curricular' activities that he and Tenel Ka might want to partake in. Shaking his head, he replied drily, "Nah. There are _wa-ay_ too many Hapans here to even think about keeping her out past 'curfew'."

As he turned back to the kettle, adding creamer and cinnamon to the tea, he heard Leia's slight chuckle, "Well, at least _one_ of my kids is still respectable. You'll notice that Anakin and Jaina made..._alternative_ sleeping arrangements for the night."

Jacen let out a snort of laughter at his mother's phrasing, nodding once as he poured the tea into two cups. "And for the next few nights, unless I miss my guess."

As Jacen made the short trip from the kitchen to the living area, Leia held her hands over her ears, humming loudly to herself. "I'm _not_ listening, Jacen."

Her oldest son could see the glint of amusement in her warm brown eyes, and he could only shake his head as he handed his mother a cup of tea and got a nod of thanks. "Dad still asleep?"

Leia only glared at him over the top of her cup in response. Seeing the look, Jacen visibly grimaced as he sat in the wingback chair sitting diagonally opposite the couch, "Someone should tell him he's not a smuggler anymore."

His mother rolled her eyes, "I _have_ told him." Shaking her head, Jacen heard her mutter into her cup, "Impossible man." Turning her attention back to her son, "Is our favorite Queen going to be able spend some time with you today?" she asked lightly, hoping to hide her since of longing. Ever since he was small, Leia always understood Jacen better than her other two kids. Both Jaina and Anakin took after their father: quick to action, heedless of the consequences. It was a wonder they were both still alive. Mentally banishing that thought, she reflected that Jacen was only one of the three that seemed to want to think things through, content to let others have the attention. Leia was hugely proud of all of her kids, of course, but to have her oldest son on the Jedi council? Her heart beamed at the thought. More than his siblings, Jacen understood the necessity of solid, well-thought-out policy; he saw the opportunity politics offered to bring people together. Whether it was on the Jedi Council or, as seemed increasingly more likely, the Fountain Palace, Jacen could continue from where she left off.

Jacen looked at his mother, guilt evident on his face. In truth, he had hoped to be able to spend some more time with his parents. It seemed like he had not had the opportunity to talk to his mother for more than a couple of minutes here and there ever since the war began. He supposed he should be embarrassed to be such a 'Mama's boy', but the truth was he _liked _his mother. Leia seemed unflappable in the face of any family 'emergency', and always offered solid advice. Suddenly, it occurred to Jacen just how much he missed being able to talk to her. For a brief moment, he thought about backing out of going with the Royal Family on their trip, but decided against it. Something was telling him that it was important for him to accompany Tenel Ka. "Actually..." he paused, trying to find a way to not sound like he was eager to rush off again, "...the Djos asked me to take a short vacation with them."

"Oh." Leia tried, and only partly succeeded, in keeping the hurt out of her voice. She became perplexed, though, when she thought of what had happened two days prior. "After the look Teneniel gave you a couple of days ago, I would not thought that possible."

Jacen nodded as he hid a smile, "I am not sure she knows yet."

"Ah." She offered an understanding smile, "The 'spring-this-on-Mom-when-she-can't-say-no' ploy." Seeing Jacen's feigned innocence at the comment, she continued drily, "Anakin taught Tenel Ka well." This time, Jacen tried to hide his laugh behind his teacup as she asked nonchalantly, "Where are you headed?"

Shrugging as he finished swallowing his tea Jacen answered, "I suggested Commenor, but I suspect it will be somewhere closer to Hapes."

Leia's flabbergasted look turned into a smile of pride as it dawned on her what Jacen was getting at. As she looked at her oldest son with motherly affection, she said softly, "You are using this to spotlight the plight of all of the refugees."

Jacen nodded in reply, "And to show how much rebuilding needs to be done." He leaned forward, "If everyone sees the Hapan Royal Family out helping, maybe it will spur others into getting involved."

For a long moment, Leia said nothing as she regarded her son; her biggest fear was that this war would take Jacen's empathy away from him, leave him bitter or soulless like had happened to so many other people, Jedi and non-Jedi alike. Somehow, he had found a way to keep it and, for that, she would be eternally grateful. Smiling warmly, she offered a compliment he would be sure to understand, "Bail would be proud of you."

Her son only closed his eyes and nodded once at the comment. His whole family knew how much Leia Organa strived to live up to her father's ideals. For her to say how proud he would be of Jacen... "Thanks, Mom."

Leia noticed that Jacen's eyes were suspiciously damp when he reopened them, but said nothing. Instead, she asked, "When do you leave?"

"Well, if Teneniel is in as bad a shape as Dad..." Jacen trailed off, smiling his father's trademark half-smirk.

Leia hung her head as she laughed, if the former Queen Mother had as much to drink as Han, it would be late morning before either saw the light of day. "Good. I'd like to talk about the 'new' Jedi Council, if you are in the mood."

"To talk politics? I'm always in the mood for that!" Jacen replied as he got up and sat next to his mother on the couch.

_(_)_

After the _Rock Dragon_ cleared the atmosphere of Zonoma, Tenel Ka turned to her left and started to enter their destination into the navicomputer: Obroa-skai. After a quick and not-quite-heated exchange with her parents on their way to the small freighter, both Tenel Ka and Jacen quickly gave in to avoid a rather pointless argument about the relative suffering on Commenor compared to that of Obroa-skai. As they discussed their destination, Jacen had gotten the distinct impression that Teneniel only disagreed because it was his idea; despite all he had achieved, people still looked at him as an out-of-touch do-gooder. What did he have to do to get people to listen?

Despite their disagreement with Teneniel, Jacen's spirits were buoyed by the fact that Tenel Ka had sided with him. As he adjusted the throttles to maintain their current orbit, the young Jedi risked a glance at his best friend sitting in the 'captain's' seat, smiling to himself. Even though they had only seen each other off-and-on for the last couple of years they still made a pretty good team; whether it be arguing the case for going to Commenor, performing the pre-flight on the _Rock Dragon_, or handling piloting duties.

After a few moments, the navigation computer sounded a quiet 'ping', indicating that the route was ready. After querying the temporary air traffic control agency, Tenel Ka glanced over to her right. "Fleet control has cleared us to depart." Jacen smiled again at her serious tone; when they were out on their adventures from the Academy, Zekk often complained about their one-armed friend's use of her 'droid-like' voice when in the cockpit, but Jacen always found it endearing. Regardless of his sister or father's cavalier attitude, flying _was_ a serious business and Jacen appreciated that Tenel Ka always treated it that way.

"Acknowledged. Matching heading now." Jacen tried to match her professional tone and grinned at his friend as he steered the _Dragon _to line up with the required heading. As he did, it occurred to Jacen that he could count only about three times where the two of them actually flew _her _ship. The other two would deny it, of course, but Jaina and Zekk were _horrible_ passengers, and tended to sulk unless they were in control. Shaking his head at the memory, Jacen aligned the _Dragon_ with the indicated course and nodded at his pretty pilot, "Hit it."

"Acknowledged." With a sly grin of her own, Tenel Ka started pushing the hyperspace throttles forward and the _Dragon'_s engines sounded their characteristic low whine as the stars elongated and disappeared.

Not too long after they had made the jump to lightspeed, Teneniel unbuckled her restraint and headed aft, Isolder following her out with an apologetic glance at his daughter. Jacen started to comment on her mother's cold behavior when Tenel Ka leaned to her right and grabbed his arm, her eyes desperate. "Can you start making dinner? Now?"

Tenel Ka was keeping her tone low, but even in her whisper he could hear the almost-panic. Why the rush? They had all had a lovely brunch at his parents' quarters not an hour-and-a-half ago. Concerned that maybe both Djo women had come down with some weird disease, he answered confusedly, "Uh... sure. What's the..."

His auburn-haired pilot cast a quick look at the door, apparently fearing that it was spying on them, "I heard Mother mention that she was going to make her lentil casserole. You _have _to pre-empt her before she can get started."

Jacen recoiled. "Lentil..._what_?" He hissed. "That sounds..."

Tenel Ka interrupted, frantically grabbing the front of his shirt, "It is AWFUL. Go. Now!"

"Yes ma'am."

With an audible sigh of relief, the Queen Mother pulled him into a deep, seductive kiss. After a few moments, she broke contact, her face flush. Winking at her best friend, "Thank you."

Jacen said nothing as he nodded absent-mindedly in response, still trying to come to grips with what just happened: Tenel Ka just..._flirted_. Openly. Leaving the cockpit, he took one last look at Tenel Ka who returned his glance with a sultry one of her own. If he had known she would have acted this way, he would have kissed her in front of everyone _much_ earlier. Smiling to himself, Jacen made his way back to the galley, nodding at her parents as he passed them in the crew lounge.

Fifteen minutes later, as Jacen was busy browning ground nerf, Isolder joined him in the small galley. When the younger man turned his head, Isolder nodded in the direction of the skillet, "What are you making?"

Jacen shrugged nonchalantly, "Some of Chewbacca's chili. It needs about four hours to simmer, so I figured I'd get started now."

The Crown Prince's eyes narrowed knowingly, replying in a low tone, "Ah. You know about Teneniel's lentil casserole."

Jacen shook his head, and replied drily, "Only by reputation."

"It's best if you keep it that way." Isolder rejoined quietly, smirking as Jacen coughed to cover his laugh. Returning his tone to normal, "You need any help?"

The brown-haired Jedi nodded once, "Sure. Check to see if the food dispenser has a recipe for cornbread."

As Isolder squeezed by Jacen to check, the former Queen Mother strolled into the getting-more-crowded-by-the-minute galley, "What are you two up to?"

Before Isolder could find his voice and without missing a beat, Jacen answered sincerely, "Well Mum, the Corellians have a custom that the owner of the ship never has to cook." He smiled warmly, "Since this is still technically _your_ ship, I have to do all the cooking for the trip." Truth be told, Jacen had no idea whether Teneniel's name was still on the _Dragon_'s registry or not, but it was the best he could come up with on the fly.

The former Queen only stared at him for a long moment, clearly trying to decide if he was telling the truth. Her husband only shrugged when she turned her attention to him, "His father _is _Corellian; Jacen would know their customs better than I."

Teneniel did not survive the Hapan Court by being easily duped, and she cast her glance back to the eldest Solo boy inwardly smiling at his feigned innocence; he was actually doing quite well in her little test. "Fair enough. I insist on making dessert, however." Nodding at the food dispenser, "I make a mean cherry cobbler."

Smiling warmly, Jacen replied, "Of course."

As she left, Jacen could hear Isolder exhale loudly before whispering, "Do the Corellians really have that custom?"

Jacen rolled his eyes, as he glanced over at the older man, "Dad always said so." He paused as a wry grin appeared, "Although...I've long suspected it a ruse to get Jaina and I do all of the cooking onboard the _Falcon."_

_(_)_

Dinner went pleasantly enough, and Jacen could not help but notice that Teneniel was acting less distant towards him, a fact that confused him greatly. It was not that he did not appreciate her increasing friendliness, he did; he just could not figure out what he had done to earn it. Something odd was going on.

Later, as the four of them sat around the small table in the crew lounge playing a board game, Teneniel moved her small canine playing piece four spaces and looked across the table at her daughter's best friend and watched as the young man picked up the dice, "Your mother mentioned that she was going to finish her Jedi training now that the war was over."

Jacen never looked up from the table as he let out a long breath as he tossed the die. "Yeah."

"You don't think she should?" Isolder asked disbelievingly as Jacen moved his top hat piece three spots.

The younger man looked up and saw three pairs of eyes looking at him as if he had just announced that he was going to join the Sith. Grimacing, he tried to explain. "I am not sure I see the need." Seeing Teneniel's flash of anger, he pressed on before she could interrupt. "When I was a kid, Uncle Luke used to stop by the house now and then and make comments like, 'Leia, you really need to finish your 'Jedi' training.'" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tenel Ka try to hide her smirk at his fair impression of Luke Skywalker. Looking back at Isolder, Jacen continued, "He always said it partly in jest, but we all knew that he meant it." Unconsciously running his hand through his hair, he looked down at the table, clearly frustrated. "Even at ten, it rubbed me the wrong way. Dad too, come to think of it."

Raising his head, Jacen and looked from Isolder to Teneniel sitting opposite him. "Anyway, here Luke was, telling the _CHIEF-OF-STATE_ that she needed to be more 'Jedi-like'; implying that she was inferior to him because she couldn't wield a glowing sword. While she was working her butt off to keep all these little squabbles from becoming BIG squabbles, he was teaching Kyp and Corran and me how to float rocks." Years of frustration came boiling out; years of watching people like his mother and himself get second billing because they see the need to _think_. "Uncle Luke gets all of the credit for defeating the Empire, but Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Mom were the reason he got the chance. Not once has she complained about living in her brother's shadow, but I would think a little less condescension on his part would have been nice."

Long used to his occasional emotional rants, Tenel Ka reached to her right and grasped his left hand, giving it a warm squeeze as Jacen hung his head again at losing his cool; he desperately wanted to impress Tenel Ka's parents, and he had just gone on a rant about the head of the Jedi Order, one of the most respected men in the galaxy. _Great way to make a lasting impression, Jace. Why not kick their pet feline, too?_

Isolder leaned forward to pick up the two die, asking quietly, "What do you think the best use of her talents are?"

Jacen was slightly confused by his tone; he was expecting a tone of disbelief, or perhaps a slightly pitying one. Instead, the Crown Prince sounded genuinely interested in his opinion. Risking a glance at the Queen seated on his left, he saw her warm smile and her nod of approval; she wanted her parents to hear what he thought. Shrugging slightly, he answered truthfully, "My mother needs to be out there telling the trillions of refugees out here that the Alliance will get them the help they need. Omas needs to use her to get some sort of agreement in place with the Remnant; she needs to be acting as an 'unofficial' emissary to the Chiss; maybe tell the Bakurans that their concerns about 'Alliance meddling' are warranted and will be looked into." His tone turned thoughtful as he stared intently at the older couple sitting across from him, "She can make a huge impact, much bigger than most of the rest of us; _this_ is what my mother should be doing, not trying to fill some antiquated view of Jedi my uncle still holds." His dropped his tone to a whisper, "Leia Organa Solo _is_ a Jedi-she has been one for years."

Teneniel looked at the young man who had slumped back on the couch and asked pointedly, "You said antiquated?"

Jacen hung his head at airing all of his frustrations in front of his girlfriend's parents. No sense stopping now, he supposed. _In for a penny... "_Uncle Luke's view works for him, it works for my sister, it works for Kyp." He looked up again, violently shaking his head. "But it doesn't work for me, it didn't work for Sannah, and it won't work for Mom." He offered a resigned sigh, "The Force is not a one-size-fits-all entity. There are lots of Jedi who need a different view of the Force."

"People like Danni?"

Surprised, Jacen looked over at Tenel Ka and laughed tonelessly at her wry smile. "Yeah." His look turned thoughtful, "Danni has devoted her entire life asking _why_. We can't ask her to turn that off; we _shouldn't_ ask her to turn that off." Casting a look across the table, he continued, "Her and Sannah, Mom and I; we all need to know _why_ the Force works. Just knowing the _how_ isn't enough."

The former Queen Mother smiled warmly at his response, "What would you say if I told you that I was starting a Praxeum on Dathomir to explore different aspects of the Force?"

"Really?"

Teneniel and Jacen both missed the knowing look that Isolder shared with his daughter as the four of them continued to talk about the new 'Jedi' school on Dathomir while also continuing their game.

Hours later, as she tried valiantly to stifle a yawn, Teneniel rose off of the couch shaking her head, "Okay, the old woman has had enough. Jacen, you can have all of my hotels, Tenel Ka gets the maglev lines." As she got up, she shot Jacen a wink and ruffled his hair as she squeezed by his seat. "Good night."

"Good night." Jacen replied and started to pack the game away when he saw that Isolder, too, had gotten up to turn in. After the pair had left, he folded the game board and commented warmly, "Well, that was fun." Not getting the expected reply, he looked over at Tenel Ka and saw that she was staring after her parents, clearly lost in thought. Confusion echoed in his voice as he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Fine." The young woman on his left answered absentmindedly. Not once in her entire life could Tenel Ka _ever_ remember her mother winking at someone, not even Isolder. And yet, not thirty seconds ago, Teneniel _winked _at Jacen. And ruffled his hair. The last time her mother acted that affectionate towards her was...so long ago she could barely remember. And the way she did it was so...unguarded. Shaking her head at the implication, Tenel Ka smiled a small understanding smile; Jacen had managed to win over her mother, and had done it only by speaking his mind. Turning her attention back to Jacen who was still looking curiously at her, she offered a small shrug of apology, "Sorry, I was just...reminiscing." Seemingly satisfied, Jacen turned his attention back to the table and the two of them finished putting the game away.

As her boyfriend put the board game away, Tenel Ka started turning off the lights in the _Dragon_, leaving only a small light in the galley and one in the crew lounge illuminated. After waiting for Jacen to catch up, she took his hand and leaned her head onto his shoulder as they slowly walked down the corridor. "You were right, that _was _fun." After years of war, it was nice to spend a nice quiet evening with her parents, doubly so since they seemed to genuinely approve of her and Jacen.

Stopping outside her cabin, Jacen kissed her lightly and pulled back, clearly intending to sleep in the cabin further down the corridor. "Good night, Tiki." The use of his long-dormant pet name for her made her heart skip a beat—he had not used her nickname since before Myrkr, and she was afraid of what that might imply.

_(_)_

Six years earlier...

Tenel Ka had gotten Jacen up early to take a run together through the Yavin jungle. A couple of miles in, he had gotten distracted by the lovely view in front of him and tripped on a tree root. Writhing in pain, he yelled out for her to stop. The young warrior girl stopped and, seeing her friend's anguish, sprinted back to him. Kneeling beside him, Tenel Ka frantically ran her hand down this ankle, clearly afraid that he had broken something. "Friend Jacen, are you injured?"

He stopped writhing and grabbed her hand. Looking up she saw the sparkle of mirth in his eyes. "I'm fine. I just needed to rest!"

She stood up abruptly and glared at him. Not saying a word, she spun around and started to walk briskly away.

Jacen got up quickly. "Tiki, wait!" He started to chase after her, "Stop!" Sprinting now, his voice raised in panic, "Tiki! Stop!"

Tenel Ka stopped and spun back around to face him, her red braids whipping around. "_What_ did you call me?"

Jacen stopped, fury clearly evident in her grey eyes. _Why does she _always_ think I am making fun of her? _Not wanting to infuriate her further, he quietly apologized, "I'm sorry." Noticing that her eyes softened a little, "When I leave a note explaining where we've gone, it's always something like, 'TK and I went for run. Back in an hour'." He took a tentative step closer, looking chagrined. "I just..." Jacen looked down at the ground, embarrassed by the foolish notion that she would actually _like_ the dorky nickname he had used, "...pronounced your initials." Looking back up guiltily, he shook his head, "I won't do it again."

Embarrassed by her emotional outburst, the Hapan princess also took a step forward. _Not _everyone_ is out to get you._ Outside of a staff member's son ages ago, she had never been close enough to anyone to even _have_ a nickname. With startling clarity, she realized that she had let Jacen Solo get close enough; from him, a nickname would be...special. Looking into his brown eyes, she said quietly "No, it's okay." Jacen smiled at that, the smile that always made her feel special. "Will you not tell anyone?" From him, it was a term of affection. From anyone else, it would imply intimacy that she did not feel.

Jacen shook his head, his curly hair waving with the movement. "No. Only when it is just you and I."

_(_)_

Grabbing him by the collar, she pulled him into a long kiss. Did he not know how much his nickname meant to her? After breaking contact, she whispered, "There is no way that you can call me that and expect me to sleep alone." Seeing his smug smile, she belatedly understood that he _did_ know what her reaction would be.

A few hours later as he lay staring at the ceiling cuddled up with his best friend, Jacen reflected that there were far worse places to be then in the arms of one of the galaxy's most beautiful women. Sighing deeply, Jacen reluctantly got out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt over his sleep pants, careful not to make any noise to wake Tenel Ka as he grabbed a couple of holozines from on top of the foot locker. Not that it really mattered-Tenel Ka had long ago mastered the art of being able to sleep through everything short of an orbital bombardment. Hearing a small sigh, the young man turned and shook his head as he watched his Queen roll over; somehow, he did not think Anakin would believe him if he were to mention that the first time he and Tenel Ka slept in the same bed they just _slept_. With this thought in mind, Jacen worked his way forward to the cockpit, stopping to grab a drink from the fridge.

Before settling into 'his' copilot's chair, he turned the chair around so that the back was to the cockpit viewports. After propping his feet up on the other seat, he opened his fizzy beverage and started to read. Twenty minutes or so later, the cockpit door opened again. Startled, Jacen sat up and watched as a Teneniel entered the cockpit wrapped in a well-worn pale blue robe and sipping a cup of caf. "Couldn't sleep either?"

Jacen smiled and shook his head, "Nope." He paused as the former Queen regally sat in the seat behind the pilot, "I've never been able to sleep very well aboard ship."

Teneniel nodded over her cup, "Me neither." Her brown eyes sparkled mischievously, "Isolder, however..." Jacen nodded in understanding as he quietly chuckled.

For a long moment, the two of them cautiously regarded each other. Finally, before the silence became too awkward, Teneniel asked quietly, "Why did you do it?"

They both knew what 'it' was: Jacen's passionate kiss of the Queen Mother two evenings previous, in full view of Force-knows-how-many members of the Hapan Navy. For a fleeting moment, Jacen thought of answering the same way he had when asked by Tahiri later that night: _It seemed like a good idea at the time._ Mentally shaking his head, he decided not to be as flippant; the mother of his best friend deserved to know that what he did was not solely to stun his mother speechless, although that _was _an added benefit. After taking he quick drink to think on how to frame his response, Jacen finally answered, "I did it because I wanted _everyone_ to know how much I love and adore your daughter. Most would have thought I was making some over-the-top joke if I had just yelled, 'I Love You, Tenel Ka.'"

His cabin-mate smiled at his response, she knew all to well that most people never took Jacen very seriously. Encouraged by her reaction, Jacen continued, "I kissed her because I have a rough idea of how much she loves me, and I wanted everyone to know _that_ as well. I want everyone to know that I am _not_ afraid of my feelings for her; that I won't sneak into the Palace in order to see my best friend. I intend on wear my feelings for her on my sleeve. I wanted everyone to know that I am not afraid of the Ruling Council, or the nobility, or the Ni'Korish." Affecting his best Ganner Rhysode voice, Jacen continued, "'Bring on your Hapans; one at a time or all in a rush...'"

"'...I don't give a damn.'" Teneniel finished quietly, watching as Jacen nodded slowly, the memory of Ganner still fresh. "And if it does not work out?"

Jacen shrugged in reply, "Then it doesn't work. Look, I know how hard this is going to be, but at least we'll know that we _tried_." Smiling sadly, "I don't think that I could live with myself if I didn't at least give it a shot."

"If you feel that strongly, why are you leaving?"

Jacen grimaced as he took a long sip of his drink. Finally, he decided on telling Teneniel the same thing he had told her daughter as they sat on their hill watching the stars. Holding up two fingers, "Two reasons: I need to know what_ I_ am; what it means to me to be a Jedi." His brown eyes met hers, "If I am to be the Conscience of the Jedi, I need to understand more about the Force than I do. I cannot advise others if I don't understand _my_ role, let alone the role of the Force."

As he paused to let that sink in, Teneniel found herself impressed by the young man. After a few moments, she nodded for him to continue. Picking up the cue, "Your daughter has been only a war-time Queen. She needs some time to be able to become a peace-time leader." Jacen took another drink, more to give him time to articulate what he meant than anything else. "There is enough anti-Jedi sentiment on Hapes as it is. If I were to start showing up now at the Palace, there would be a sizable faction that would start to think that the Jedi are trying to take over Hapes. She needs to be able to show that the Hapan people come first. Only when they know that her first loyalty is to_ them_ will they accept _us._"

When they were lying in bed earlier that evening, Isolder had mentioned to her that he thought Jacen to be a lot like his mother; always able to see beyond the immediate future and concentrate on what _really_ mattered. At the time, Teneniel thought his comments to be wishful thinking, knowing that Isolder still had a bit of a thing for Leia Organa. Perhaps her husband was more right than she cared to admit; perhaps Jacen was the man for their daughter. Perhaps she should have realized that Tenel Ka would not give her heart to just _anyone_.

With a flash of insight, Teneniel hatched upon a plan that would help assuage some of the guilt she felt for dumping the Hapan throne on her daughter. The Ruling Council had never really approved of her and Isolder; Teneniel would be damned if she would allow that same body to treat her daughter and her likely choice of Royal Consort with the same disdain. Allowing a predatory smile, she stared intently at the young man sitting across from her as he started to regard her warily, "If you are willing to play along, we can outflank the Ruling Council."

Jacen was the son of the former Chief-of-State, he knew what Teneniel's look meant: it meant a political fight. Trying to keep the growing apprehension out of his voice, "Play along...how?"

"Relax, all you have to do is be yourself." Teneniel paused theatrically, "We just need you to be _seen_ being yourself." This did little to assuage Jacen's wary look, so the auburn-haired woman continued, "While we're on Obroa-skai, we simply make sure that you and Tenna are seen together as we...end up doing whatever it is that we'll do."

Jacen wrinkled his brow in confusion. _Tenna?_ Shaking his head, he let the nickname pass for the moment, "That is not what..."

"Yes it is." The former Queen interrupted. "The whole point of this trip is to be _seen _helping the galaxy rebuild, to spur others into like action. There is nothing wrong with your plan; in fact, I applaud what you are trying to do. All I am saying is that as long as we are there, we might as well let everyone see the side of Jacen and Tenel Ka that I see: the side that shows just well the two of you work together." Jacen still looked unconvinced, so Teneniel went for the soft sell. "Take today as an example; it quickly became apparent to both of you that we were adamant about going to Obroa-skai and that it was a pointless argument. More importantly, you stuck together with you arguments and then graciously let us have our way." Leaning forward, Teneniel continued, "For dinner, I let it 'slip' that I was planning to make lentil casserole, and the two of you found a way to stop me without hurting my feelings." Taking his hand, she gave it an affectionate squeeze, "Both of you were able to solve these problems without anyone losing face; a rare talent that not everyone has. We need to let Hapes see this."

Jacen nodded, finally understanding why she had been so distant towards him earlier, "So all of today was just a test?" His voice betrayed no emotion, but he could not quite keep the flash of betrayal from his eyes. If Jacen had learned anything from his time with Vergere, it is that _life_ is one big test; he was just hoping that he would not had to pass one from his prospective mother-in-law.

Teneniel shook her head, "No, the test was limited to the 'argument' and dinner." Smiling warmly, "Everything else was just me liking to talk policy."

The Jedi nodded once, a look of relief on his face. "Back to the press..." Jacen's gaze hardened, "...they didn't do my brother any favors; what makes you think they'll treat me any better?"

Teneniel shook her head, her hair coming undone as she did. "Anakin's 'fall from grace' is just as much his fault as it is theirs." Seeing Jacen open his mouth to reply, the former queen held up her hand for forestall the coming argument. "Anakin used the press to further his agenda, and he did it well. People loved him. He became the face of the Jedi; the next Kenobi." Even Teneniel had to admit that she had been impressed with the way Anakin had dealt with the press early on. "He became the hero that we all needed, able to pull off audacious plans that few others would have dared try. And then..." she trailed off.

Jacen's head fell into his hands as he finished, "...Bastion."

Nodding solemnly in agreement, "Bastion. Anakin refused to speak to the press after the disaster, not even to the reporters who were clearly willing to cut him some slack."

Looking up, Jacen felt the need to defend his brother, "Anakin thought they would understand just how badly we all felt, that they would..." he trailed off, realizing belatedly what his friend's mother was trying to get across. The press was _not_ just going to leave Anakin alone; he had become the voice not just of the Jedi, but also of the Alliance as a whole.

Teneniel allowed a sad smile, seeing that Jacen had finally caught on to what she was trying to get across. Her voice soft, "Now you see." Pausing, she saw Jacen's forlorn nod, "Anakin thought the story would blow over, but it will not: Bastion is _gone_. I know it was not his fault, the _press_ know it was not his fault, but the public needed answers, and he gave them none." Teneniel balled her fists, clearly aggravated by Anakin's actions over the last few months, "By avoiding the press, Anakin was loudly saying_ If I can't win, I am going to take my toys and go home._" Her voice rose as more of her frustration seeped through, "He got everyone to buy into his 'hero' mystique and then when things go horribly wrong, he starts to act like the teenager he is. In absence of getting his side of the story, the press created one: Anakin Solo is a _quitter."_ She paused to let Jacen absorb that thought and her voice became harder, "While Tenna, Jaina, Doran, and millions of others were still out there risking their lives, Anakin Solo _quit_."

"I was at Bastion; I left for Zonoma, same as him." Jacen pointed out quietly.

"_You..." _She pointed at him angrily, "...did not sell yourself as the new face of the Jedi. He sold them hope and then appeared to bail when the going got tough." Taking a deep breath, Teneniel realized that she was taking her frustration with Anakin out on his brother. Softening her tone, "Trust me when I say this, the press will _not _tolerate hypocrisy."

Jacen smiled wanly, "Anakin probably could have used your advice."

The older woman chuckled humorlessly and rolled her eyes, "Leia would have told him the same thing had he asked." She leaned forward again to recapture his attention, "I'm not asking you to be larger than life; I am only asking you to let the press see...you. When you are out doing..." Teneniel paused theatrically as she waved out the viewscreen, "...whatever it is that you are going to be doing, talk to the press when they ask. Engage them. Let the galaxy see you for the thoughtful, intelligent, handsome, funny guy that you are." Squeezing his hand again, she continued, "When we 'leak' holos of you and Tenna together as you two meet occasionally over the next few years, Hapes will start to understand just how much you adore their Queen Mother, not for _what _she is but simply because she is Tenel Ka. They will see how much you both mean to each other. This is how we end-run the Ruling Council."

Jacen nodded thoughtfully, clearly digesting her plan. Would it work? He was never really comfortable with the idea of Jedi talking to the press, but Ganner was able to pull it off with relative success. Unbidden, he started to picture his uncle having a panic attack at the thought that someone was actually going to imitate Ganner Rhysode. Chuckling at the mental image, he nodded at his 'mother-in-law', "When do we start?"

Patting his knee, Teneniel smiled warmly. "We'll allow a few questions as soon as we get to Obroa-skai. After that, we'll plan on making a bigger splash at Tenna's coronation."

Making a mental note to ask 'Tenna' about the origins of her nickname, he and Teneniel continued to discuss her strategy for him appearing occasionally with Tenel Ka while he was out learning about the Force, so that they would still look to be a 'couple'.

_(_)_

As Jacen quietly slipped back into bed a couple of hours later, Tenel Ka rolled over again and draped her arm across his chest, pulling him closer. Smiling, he leaned over to kiss her forehead, whispering softly, " 'Morning, Tenna." Just as he had hoped, he was rewarded with her grey eyes snapping open. "I've had a _most_ enlightening conversation with your mother."

Even in the darkened room, he could see her grimace. Chagrined, Tenel Ka murmured, "Did she mention how I got the name?"

"Nope, I kinda figured she was in the mood to ratchet up the embarrassment and let you explain."

"Remind me to thank her tomorrow." Sensing Jacen's amusement, Tenel Ka proceeded to explain how Commander Janka Vessau, the Palace's Naval Attaché for a time, let her son Gadell come to her office after school. Tenel Ka had bumped into the slightly older boy one day and the two had become fast friends, doing their level best to hide from their parents and terrorize the local avians that flew about the Palace Gardens. Either because he could not be bothered to pronounce it, or just because he liked her slightly annoyed look, it took Gadell three years to finally get her name right, insisting on calling her 'Tenna' in the meantime.

After she finished, Jacen smiled warmly, "That's nothing to be embarrassed about, it's a cute story. I got my nickname because Anakin couldn't pronounce 'Jacen', after all."

Tenel Ka shrugged as she started to cuddle up once again to Jacen before stopping. Looking worriedly into his face, she asked, "You didn't tell Mother about..."

Jacen shook his head, and whispered into her hair, "Of course not, Tiki."

Smiling in relief, she started to nibble on his ear as she took off his t-shirt, "Good."

With a low growl, Jacen rolled her on top of him and quickly removed her purple silk camisole, reveling in the feel of her skin against his. Somewhere in the back of his mind was the thought that her parents were only about six meters away across the corridor, but he was beyond caring. He just hoped that the _Dragon_'s cabins were as soundproof as he remembered.

_(_)_

A/N: Yeah, I know two chapters, two nicknames for Tenel Ka. She doesn't have any in almost 20 years of existence, and now she's got two. Back when I was stalking J/TK stories on TF.N, I noticed that quite a few of the posters from years gone by would refer to her as Tiki. To me, it always seemed like a name that Jacen would give her and that it was a name that she would only tolerate from him, so I invented a backstory for it. Next (and I am pretty sure last) chapter: the Djo 'vacation' on Obroa-skai. I'm aiming for a month from now, but I might be closer to the Ides of March; I'm moving to The First State at the end of Feb.


End file.
